SOLVIT: offers help with cross-border problems in the EU
If a business in the EU is experiencing problems with a public authority of another EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway, they can turn to SOLVIT for help. SOLVIT helps businesses free-of-charge when their cross-border rights in the European single market are breached by public authorities.
Are you doing business in another EU country and is a government authority in that country not applying EU rules correctly? For example, rules about:
- permits
- recognition of professional qualifications
- taxes
- social security
- market access
In these situations SOLVIT may be able to help. SOLVIT is a free of charge service provided by national governments across the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. It helps businesses and citizens find practical solutions when public authorities do not respect their EU rights. And when you have not yet taken your case to court.
All EU countries have their own SOLVIT service. The responsibility for the Dutch SOLVIT centre lies with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (Economische Zaken en Klimaat). The SOLVIT centres work together to help solve your problem.
How does SOLVIT work?
When you submit our problem to SOLVIT your local SOLVIT centre, also known as the home centre will:
- contact you within one week and, if necessary, ask you for further information
- check whether or not your problem falls within SOLVIT’s scope
- prepare the case and send it to the lead SOLVIT centre.
The SOLVIT centre in the country where the problem occurred, also known as the lead centre will:
- confirm within one week whether or not they will accept the case
- try to find a solution to your problem together with the responsible authority.
The target deadline for solving problems is 10 weeks from when the lead SOLVIT centre accepts your case. You will be regularly informed on the progress of your case by the home SOLVIT centre. Feel free to contact them if you need an update on how your case is progressing.
When can SOLVIT not help
- if your company is having problems with another company
- if you have a consumer-related problem
- if you are seeking compensation for damages
- if you take your case to court (due to its informal nature, SOLVIT cannot run in parallel with formal or legal proceedings).
Please note: submitting a case to SOLVIT does not suspend any formal or administrative deadlines under national law.